Strapping-actuated gripper for tensioner



April 26,, 1960 w, SCHULTZ 2,934,318

STRAPPING-ACTUATED GRIPPER FOR TENSIONER Filed Nov. 21, 1957 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 l0 I/VVENTOR EDWARD W. SCHULTZ Afforney April 1960 E. w. SCHULTZ 34 STRAPPING-ACTUATEID GRIPPER FOR TENSIONER Filed Nov. 21, 1957 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 /9 b l3 'fi=" 0 igg g fl INVENTOR EDWARD W. SCHULTZ- Maw Attorney STRAPPING-ACTUATED GRIPPER FOR TENSIONER ward W. Schultz, Homewood, 111., assignor to United States Steel Corporation, a corporation of New .iersey Application November 21, 1957, Serial No. 697,943

1 Claim. (Cl. 254-51) the length of strapping as it is wound up on a drum,

whereby the gripper is urged toward gripping position by a force in addition to that of the spring-pressed plunger usually employed to bias the gripper toward gripping position.

In a present preferred embodiment, I locate the winding drum at the left-hand end of the tensioner, as faced by the operator, and the gripper at the right. I also provide a gripper holder pivoted on the base of the device having means projecting toward the operator which will be engaged by the free end of the strip in the manner described, when the tension drum is turned. This arrangement has the further advantage of facilitating the provision for release of the gripper by throwing the tensioning lever down in the direction opposite the tensioning direction.

A complete understanding of the invention may be obtained from the following detailed description and explanation which refer to the accompanying drawings illustrating the present preferred embodiment. In the draw mgs:

Figure l is a plan view;

Figure 2 is a front elevation;

Figure 3 is a partial section taken along the plane of line Il1III of Figure 2; and

Figure 4 is a similar section taken along the plane of line IV-IV of Figure 1.

Referring now in detail to the drawings, the tensioner there shown comprises a base 10, conveniently a casting, having bearing standards a and 10b, feet 11 at the ends and an intermediate foot 12 with which a tilting gripper 13 cooperates. A slotted tensioning drum 14 is journaled in the standards 10a and may be rotated in the counterclockwise or tensioning direction by a lever 15 acting through the conventional pawl and ratchet 15a as shown in the patent aforesaid. It will be noted rates Pater O that drum 14 is at the left-hand side and gripper 13 at the right-hand side of base 10.

Gripper 13 comprises a toothed block 16 and a holder or housing 17 associated therewith. The sides of the 2,934,318 Patented Apr. 26, 1960 block are recessed to receive the front flange 17a of holder 17 so that torque applied to the latter is transmitted to the block. As shown in Figure 3, block 16 and holder 17 are pivoted on pin 18 fixed in hearing standard 1012. A spring-pressed plunger 19 in a hole at one side of standard 10b constantly exerts an upward force on a tongue 20 of holder 17. This urges the lower end of gripper block 16 against the upper surface of the fixed end 21 of a length of strapping inserted between the block and foot 12. Holder 17 has a finger press 22 projecting therefrom whereby the gripper may be caused to release end 21. It also has a shoulder 23 adapted to be engaged by a pin 24 projecting from lever 15, to the same end.

A striker member in the form of a pin 25 welded to tongue 20 of holder 17 projects toward the operator and thus is adapted to be engaged by the free end 26 of the length of strapping inserted in the slot of drum 14, as shown in solid lines in Figure 2, when the latter is turned counterclockwise to tension the strapping length, as shown in chain lines. The free end 26 of the length thereby tends to turn the gripper holder counterclockwise and thus aids plunger 19 in setting and holding the lower end of the gripper against end 21. This action prevents slippage and reduces the force required of plunger 19, permitting the use of a weaker spring under it four toothed surfaces of the block to be placed successively in operating position.

It will be apparent that the substantial upward force exerted by the band end 26 on pin 25, when deflected by turning drum 14, assists plunger 19 in causing the teeth of gripper block 16 to bite into band end 21. Thus the added gripper force is applied only when needed and does not affect manual release of the gripper either directly or through lever 15. Pin 25 also holds band end 26 in an out-of-the-way position, avoiding interference with the operator.

Although I have disclosed herein the preferred embodiment of my invention, I intend to cover as well any change or modification therein which may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention.

I claim:

In a strapping tensioner including a base, a gripper journaled thereon effective on rotation in one direction to pinch against said base one end of a length of strapping and a winding drum journaled on said base adjacent said gripper with its axis parallel to that of the gripper, said drum having a slot adapted to receive the other end of said length of strapping, the combination therewith of a striker member on said gripper offset from its axis of rotation and projecting therefrom across the path of said other end of said length of strapping when placed in said slot,.whereby on rotation of the drum, said other end engages said striker member tending to rotate the gripper in said one direction.

Jakoubek Nov. 6, 1934 Childress June 18, 1940 Block 16 is removable from holder 17, permitting all i 

